Needlecraft Haven Summer Exchange

This year our Summer Exchange was a non-stitchy exchange mainly because with the very hot temperatures in the UK and France we were all finding it hard to stitch.

Each exchange parcel had to include:

• a packet of handbag size tissues
• a free online recipe
• a pamper item
• a summer treat 

My exchange parcel was for Mary and I tried to theme it around the lovely Cath Kidson cherry tissues I found. 

As the weather was so warm I didn't put in chocolate instead I found some Cherry Squashies and Werther's Original Butter Candies.

Mary's pamper gifts were Hurts Bees Cherry lip balm and some butter hand cream.

I choose a recipe from Jane's Patisserie - Berry Bakewell Cake 

I received a lovely exchange parcel from Julie

The tissues are beautiful  a pack of roses and a pack of butterflies.

The handcream is fragranced 'sweet flowers' and is now by my chair as it seems to soak in well so can be used when stitching.

The Robinsons is a great size for taking on holiday and refilling my water bottle.

Julie's recipe made me chuckle as Angel Cake ss it was from 'Baking with Granny'. It was one of my Dad's favourites and always gave us a smile as he would write Angle Cake on his shopping list - it will always be Angle Cake to us.

As always we've had another great exchange at Needlecraft Haven, our next exchange will be a stitchy one for the autumn.

12 days thank you

Every year I am very touched by my stitching friends' generosity in stitching for my church tree, and this year is no exception. 

With everyone's stitching I nearly have a mixed set. Here's the list so far with links to my blogs - Julie and Tiff's stitching photos came the other day so are on this post.

Day 1 - stitched by Mini and Mary

Day 2 - stitched by Gill

Day 3 - stitched by Tiff and Julie 

Day 4 - stitched by Julie 

Day 5 - stitched by Gill 

Day 6 - 

Day 7 - stitched by Gill

Day 8 - stitched by DJ

Day 9

Day 10 - stitched by me

Day 11 - stitched by DJ

Day 12 - stitched by me

I have also stitched the full set by Jo Verso but have noticed the Twelve Days are slightly different for the last few days, I will be following this and will be swapping the numbers on the set I stitched - I blogged them here

1st Day: A partridge in a pear tree

2nd Day: Two turtle doves

3rd Day: Three French hens

4th Day: Four calling birds

5th Day: Five gold rings

6th Day: Six geese a-laying

7th Day: Seven swans a-swimming

8th Day: Eight maids a-milking

9th Day: Nine ladies dancing

10th Day: Ten lords a-leaping

11th Day: Eleven pipers piping

12th Day: Twelve drummers drumming

I will be stitching the missing days, currently 6 & 9, but I'm not sure which design, maybe Just Nan. I then have to make them all into ornaments, I already have my backing fabric and edging sorted.

Huge thank you again to my generous stitchy friends.

It's August

As many of us have been saying for quite a few years time seems to fly by. How is it August already, which means our granddaughter will be 2 months old.

I have been stitching more, which always gives me a lift, and I've sorted my threads deciding to sell some. It isn't about money, space or not liking them but a reality check of I'll never have time to use them all even if I live to 100!

I have finished two Just Nan 12 Days for my church tree. My friend Mary has kindly leant me her Just Nan chart and also stitched Day 1. I will not have time to stitch all twelve so I'm going to do the numbers missing when I see which ones everyone has sent, thank you everyone. My friend Julie is stitching of the two Just Nan designs too.

I have just realised I haven't written a page for my 2026 finishes (see the tabs at the top of my blog), I'll have to check back and get one posted.

Welcome to August everyone, a summer month that I hope will be a bit cooler although it's still high 20s, low 30s Celsius for us te next few days.

July's news

I haven't been reading or writing blogs for a while, mainly because we've been busy at home, having a few trips away and holidaying in Wales to be near our new granddaughter. 

For a while I haven't been feeling to chirpy in myself, various things but I decided to try to do a few more things for me ... this I find difficult as I'm the one who arranges things, family and friends, and seem to do a lot for others, I was born on a Friday which explains a lot.

I have stepped down from being Chairman at our Scout Group although I'm still a committee member and although I do have the church cloth to work on I'm taking a small break from it. 

My wrist/arm has healed but I do have a problem with pain in my hand between my ring and little finger which travels up my arm, this makes stitching a little uncomfortable. I'm still having physio at the hospital and seeing the GP physio. 

I have joined Slimming World again, it's nice to meet with others for a couple of hours and of course loose some weight, I've lost 1 stone so far. 

The stitching I have done was a gift for Sylvie-Rose our granddaughter. We're not sharing photos or information on social media so I have blanked out some of the sampler. 

I'm still working on 12 days of Christmas and hope to have a couple more to show in August. Hopefully I will be back to being more involved in blog world soon. 

Finally I've finished

In 2019 I stitched two temperature projects, one showing the hottest temperature of the day, the other showing the coldest. And that was that, they sat in my drawer for ages!

I decided to make them into mats to use occassionally by using drawn threads and a hem. I marked them out ... and there they sat in my drawer!

But I've finished them ... whoo hoo! They are square I'm just rubbish at taking level photos with my phone.

I haven't started making up my 12 days yet as I have a few things to stitch first, namely two wedding gifts. 

But before those I have a special item to stitch, I've sorted the fabric and threads and hope to start stitching today.

The colours match my beautiful peonies and the lovely cards we've received ❤️ 

Yes, we're now Grandma and Grandad to our beautiful granddaughter Sylvie-Rose. We're delighted for our daughter and son-in-law, it's lovely to see them become parents.

It's June

The sixth month has arrived and so did the sun for a few hot days, it's now back to being wet!

I have stitched all the Jo Verso 12 Days of Christmas complete with red beads instead of French knots. Here's Day 11 & 12 and the full set.

It's a poignant time of year in our family; 

- my mum's birthday was 31st May

- Hubby's mum would have been 90 today

- my mum passed on the 8th May

- Hubby's dad's birthday was 11th June 

That means lots of special dinners, fish and chips for my mum, Hunter's chicken for Hubby's mum and gammon for his dad (with egg custard pudding)

Our garden is also joining in as my mum gave Hubby a planter of lillies when his mum passed and they bloom every year, now for both mums.

We have the beautiful 'Golden Lady' rose in our garden planted for Hubby's mum and it's just about to bloom.

My Dad's Peace rose has bloomed again, this time with pink edging. Our peony has looked amazing but the wind and rain has destroyed the petals but I love the skeleton it's left behind. 

I also spotted the white poppy, it's called Royal Wedding and is a bit spindly but a beautiful flower. Quite apt really as June does also bring lovely memories as it's our special day on the 24th, it is our 37th wedding anniversary.

My stitching is back

I've been able to stitch much more lately, my hand's more flexible, still quite painful so it's little and often but I'm certainly stitching more. The break has mended but I think there's a bit of tissue damage still mending.

I have also had a go at crochet, it's slow but going ok. I have picked up my knitting needles again too, that's slow too but is a great exercise for my hand.

I've finished Day 10 of my Jo Verso 12 days of Christmas for the church tree. I haven't done the red beads as a bit fiddly yet. I'm hoping to have the twelve stitched by the end of June so the summer will be make up time (easier to take away than lots of floss and charts).

My lovely friend Gill has stitched three days for me, thank you Gill they are so nice.

It's a scorcha here in the UK, our hottest temperatures with yesterday reaching over 34°C. I have been staying indoors to keep cool. 

Not just my hand, I'm a bit under the weather lately. Lots of things, I seem to get over one thing then something else happens but I am trying to tackle one thing at a time. 

The blooms in the garden certainly help, our peony is finally out as is our Peace rose which was my Dad's favourite. 

Our recent cruise definitely helped lift my spirits - here's the link to my other blog - and there's exciting times ahead our first grandchild is due very soon.